The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla subsp. serrata and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Santiago’. ‘Santiago’ represents a new Bigleaf Hydrangea, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use and for use as a cut flower.
‘Santiago’ was derived from an ongoing controlled breeding program by the Inventor in Nuaillé, France that focuses on developing new cultivars of Hydrangea that are floriferous and frost resistant with flattened inflorescence shapes, and compact and well branched growth habits.
‘Santiago’ originated from a cross conducted in the Inventor's breeding field in June 1998 in Nuaillé, France between Hydrangea macrophylla subsp. serrata ‘Mont Aso’ (not patented) as the female parent and Hydrangea macrophylla subsp. serrata ‘Blue Wave’ (not patented) as the male parent. The new Hydrangea was selected as a unique single plant from the progeny of the cross in August 2005.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings in Nuaillé, Maine et Loire, France in 2005 by the Inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.